Watermelon Gazpacho
Refreshing Watermelon Gazpacho: A Quick Summer Soup with a Surprising Twist
There's an art to summer cooking that involves doing as little as possible while letting ingredients shine in all their glory. This watermelon gazpacho embodies that philosophy perfectly—refreshing, vibrant, and quick to make, with the surprising addition of sweet watermelon that transforms a classic Spanish soup into something entirely new.
The Market Haul That Started It All
Enticed by the various heirloom tomato varieties available at the market—those deep burgundy Cherokee Purples, the striped Green Zebras, the sunshine-yellow Golden Boys—I may have gone a little overboard on my weekend shopping haul. However, I regret nothing. Summer is, after all, the one time to enjoy fruit and vegetables galore, processed as little as possible, thrown into the most delicious salads and light meals that don't require heating up your kitchen like a sauna.
A bounty of tomatoes can only mean one thing: an embarrassment of riches in the form of bruschetta, caprese salads dripping with olive oil, tomato sandwiches on crusty bread, rustic tomato galettes, and naturally, gazpacho. That cold, blended soup that's saved many a sweaty summer evening when the thought of turning on the stove felt like cruel and unusual punishment.
The Happy Accident: When Watermelon Meets Gazpacho
This time though, upon finding half a mini watermelon in my fridge that had seen better days (you know the one—perfectly good but getting dangerously close to that point where you either use it or compost it), I decided to improvise. After all, watermelons and cucumbers are both from the same plant family, cucurbitaceae, and I figured, what could go wrong? They share that refreshing, water-rich quality and subtle vegetal notes. Why not let them play together in a bowl?
It turns out, not much could go wrong, and this proved to be absolutely delicious. The watermelon adds a gentle sweetness that balances the acidity of the tomatoes, while somehow making the whole thing even more refreshing than traditional gazpacho—if such a thing is even possible. It's like summer decided to blend itself into a bowl and present itself to you, chilled and ready.
Why This Watermelon Gazpacho Works
This no-cook soup is perfect for a hot summer day when nobody—and I mean nobody—can be persuaded to turn on the stove. When even the thought of boiling water feels like too much effort. When you open the fridge and just stare inside, hoping something cold and delicious will magically appear.
What's more, it keeps well in the fridge for a few days, so you can make a big batch to last you through the week. Perfect for meal prep, perfect for those work-from-home lunches when you need something quick and nourishing, perfect for impressing guests with minimal effort. The flavors actually develop and meld together beautifully overnight, making day-two gazpacho even better than day-one.
A Versatile Summer Staple
Whether you serve it as an elegant appetizer for a dinner party, a light lunch on the terrace, or even breakfast (no judgment here—cold soup for breakfast is absolutely acceptable in Mediterranean countries), this watermelon gazpacho adapts to whatever you need it to be. Naturally vegan, naturally gluten-free, naturally the answer to "what should I make when it's too hot to cook?"
The beauty of gazpacho lies in its flexibility. Adjust the garlic to your taste, add more or less watermelon depending on how sweet you like things, throw in some jalapeño if you want heat to balance the sweet. Make it your own.
Let me know if you make it and I hope you'll enjoy the watermelon variation as much as I did! It's become my go-to summer soup, the one I crave when the temperature climbs and all I want is something cold, fresh, and utterly effortless.
Watermelon Gazpacho
Beat the heat with this chilled watermelon gazpacho! Sweet watermelon blends with tomatoes, cucumber, and peppers for a vibrant, no-cook soup perfect for hot summer days. Ready in 15 minutes, this light and healthy gazpacho is naturally vegan and packed with fresh flavors. Serve as an elegant appetizer or refreshing lunch.
Ingredients
- 700g ripe tomatoes (the riper, the better, use those squishy tomatoes at the bottom of the bowl) cored and quartered
- 400g watermelon cubed and deseeded
- 1-2 persian cucumbers, roughly chopped
- 1 medium red onion, quartered
- 2 garlic cloves
- 70ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red pepper, cored and deseeded, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 1tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp vodka (this is completely optional but I find it brightens the tomato flavour)
Instructions
- The method couldn't be easier: put all the watermelon and the vegetables in a large blender. Pulse at first until finely chopped, add the salt, pepper, olive oil, vinegar, vodka. The trick to getting a velvety smooth gazpacho is to now blend it on the highest setting for 3 minutes. This will emulsify the olive oil and you will get a silky smooth soup.
- Ideally you should chill the gazpacho in the refrigerator for a few hours, let the flavours really marry.
- Once ready to serve pour in bowls (in Spain you would serve this in small, very cold shot glasses) and drizzle with a little olive oil. Garnish with basil and dig in!